Recessed lighting fixtures are well known. Usually, the recessed "cans" are fitted within circular openings cut in ceilings. The recessed fixtures have cylinderical walls, usually closed at upper ends by covers. An L-shaped bracket has a downward, vertical leg which is connected with a screw and wing nut to a slot in a cylindrical wall of the can so that the bracket may be adjusted vertically. The horizontal leg supports a socket which has electrical connectors leading to a junction box in a conventional manner. A standard reflector lamp with a threaded lamp base is screwed into the socket. The exposed end of each recessed can and a surrounding area of a ceiling is covered by a trim ring, which is supported by tension springs with hooks connected to the trim ring and to slots in the cylindrical wall of the can.
In some situations, the trim ring must be removed before replacing or inserting the reflector lamps. Pulling downward on the trim rings and laterally displacing the trim rings or unhooking the concealed springs is a difficult and time-consuming task. Sometimes, trim rings are not inserted or are not replaced or become lost, leaving a fixture opening which is unsightly upon close inspection. The trim rings and their connections obscure part of the fitting, reducing the quantity or angle of light which may be emitted. The interior of the cans becomes heated, promoting deterioration of the wiring and sockets, and the connections between the lamp base and socket, and the trim ring aids in the retention of heat within the fixture.
Conventional recessed fittings mount reflector bulbs at varied angles. Because the socket is mounted on a cantilevered arm, and because that arm may become bent inadvertently, the reflector lamp mounted in the socket on a bent arm may be misaligned with the fixture. Light from the lamp may be misdirected, as upon leaving the fixture, or light may be partially directed onto the trim ring and reflected back into the fixture, with attendent illumination loss.